We have all been students at some point in our lives and we have had many teachers. Some of them we couldn’t stand, some stood out to us. But what are the qualities that make someone a good teacher? This question has been studied by educational psychologists for a long time, and in this article we are now going to talk about the conclusions they reached. 

Before we start talking about the qualities of a good teacher, we must admit that it is one of the most difficult professions. Training and education methods require intelligence and precision, and knowing them and knowing how to use them is not easy. And this is not the only problem that teachers have: a teacher must also know how to deal with his students and all their whims!

Characteristics of a good teacher

Studies have shown that the quality of teaching increases when a teacher meets the following criteria:

Skills in the subject to be taught:

It is essential that the teacher has good knowledge of the subject he is going to teach. Of course, this knowledge is more than just terms, facts and concepts. Keeping these things organized and understanding how they relate to each other is also essential. The teacher must also be able to discuss each aspect of the subject and use that knowledge in other areas as well.

Teaching strategies:

Good teaching requires the use of appropriate strategies. Today, constructive strategies are considered the best strategies. In these, the student is seen as a little theoretician who builds his own world. Consequently, the strategies used must stimulate the student to explore, discover and think critically.

Setting goals and planning lessons:

Good teachers don’t improvise. They set specific goals for their teaching and create plans to achieve them. Good planning takes a lot of time. But doing so makes learning interesting and challenging.

Developmentally appropriate exercises:

As students grow, their ways of learning and dealing with difficulties change. Therefore, the teacher must know the different stages of the child’s development and put himself in their position to develop teaching materials suitable for each stage of development.

In the classroom

Classroom management skills:

One important characteristic of a good teacher is that he sees the class as a whole. Teamwork and utilizing projects are good options. To achieve this, the teacher must have numerous skills, which include e.g. imposing rules, organizing groups, supervising the completion of tasks, intervening in bad behavior, etc.

Extremes have a very negative effect on teaching — whether it is too much discipline or relaxation. You have to be able to bring the class together in a democratic way.

Motivational skills:

If students do not have the required motivation, the quality of teaching is lower. It is therefore good for the teacher to use strategies that arouse students’ interest in the subject. Good teachers turn teaching tasks into creative and stimulating activities, which in turn improves the quality of teaching.

Communication skills:

The teacher must be a good speaker and know the basics of debating and giving presentations. A good teacher has no problem adapting his own ways of expression to the needs of the students. We are not only talking about communication with students, but also the entire school community.

Differences and difference

Taking individual differences into account:

All students are different. Everyone has their own abilities and ways of learning. Good teaching also includes the ability to take into account these individual differences. And not only them, but the teacher must also know how to adapt his teaching to the needs of each student.

Effectiveness in different cultural contexts:

Nowadays, it is quite normal to have students from different cultures in classrooms. Thus, one of the skills teachers need is to know something about their students’ culture in order to improve interactions in the classroom. The teacher’s role is to encourage students to have a positive attitude and to prevent clashes between cultures.

Assessment skills:

A good teacher is aware of each student’s learning level. To find out, he knows how to use different assessment tools, thus finding out the strengths and weaknesses of his students. Today, teachers use assessments to test students, but it shouldn’t be this way. The real reason to do the assessment is to find out what stage the student is in and then develop a suitable teaching method for him.

Technological skills:

Technology, if used correctly, can be a powerful tool in increasing the quality of teaching. This is why good teachers need updated information about new technologies. They also need to know how to best use them in a teaching environment. It is also important for the teacher to familiarize the students with these technologies.

Finally

Now that we have seen all these qualities, we can see how much is required of teachers today. It seems almost impossible that one person could fulfill all these requirements. Here you can also see how much responsibility the teacher has, and we can’t really demand anything less from them.

The teacher is a central figure in a child’s education or a student’s learning. The result of a bad, or even mediocre, teacher is that some students do not develop to their full potential. On the other hand, we cannot ignore the fact that if we want quality professionals, we must have quality teacher training.

It is true that attitude matters a lot, as important as knowledge and skills. Investing in education is one of the best investments a society can make for its future.

Become an Instructor –>